The Xbox series has one of the greatest current libraries. Of late, Microsoft’s first-party offerings have not been grand, but the Xbox Game Pass program helps put a large percentage of the aforementioned massive library at the tip of everyone’s fingers. There are plenty of titles to choose from both new and old.
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Microsoft could do more to offer classic games on the service like from the original Xbox. As it stands, the library is still diverse, and Xbox Game Pass is like a massive compilation. Not everyone has that program. though, so let’s dive into some real collections available from some of the biggest publishers on the Xbox suite of consoles including theXbox Series X. Some are, in fact, available on Xbox Game Pass.
8Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collectioncombines the three gameswith Ezio Auditore, starting withAssassin’s Creed 2. The firstAssassin’s Creedestablished Ubisoft’s franchise and had some good ideas, but Ezio’s trilogy is where things truly took off. He was a more charismatic character than Altair, which may be why Ubisoft approved the idea to create more games with him in them.
This trilogy will take players well over a hundred hours to complete. Mechanically, the series has improved significantly since these early entries, which can make these games feel a bit clunk; however, it’s hard to beat Ezio’s warm presence.
7Batman: Arkham Collection
Batman: Arkham Collectionoffers three games for one great deal. The only entry missing in this collection isBatman: Arkham Origins, which was developed by a different team from Rocksteady Studios. The first game,Batman: Arkham Asylum, is like a cool 3D Metroidvania, whereas the two sequels take place in open-world cities.
Arkham CityandArkham Knightare full of content, whereasArkham Asylumis smaller in scope. However, the original game could still be considered the best in the series. Regardless of how one ranks the trilogy, they all provedBatman, as a character, could have some truly great video game adaptations.
6BioShock: The Collection
BioShock: The Collectionis another HD collectionbased on a trilogy. New players can experience this series under the sea before venturing into the clouds. All three games took first-person shooters to a new level thanks to their environmental storytelling. The first game is still the most horrific of the bunch.
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What doesn’t sound scary about being trapped underwater in a city overrun by mutants? It’s a good collection to binge through beforeJudascomes out, the spiritual successor to this franchise.
5Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collectionwas rough at launch. There were bugs that prevented players from even booting up certain games in theXbox compilation. The package was a mess, but it did improve over time, with the collection still getting updates. It’s more like a launch platform for other content than just one collection of games. It could easily be renamed asHalo HUBand fans wouldn’t bat an eye.
Except for the newest entry,Halo Infinite,the entire seriescan be played in this compilation easily. Multiplayer is still included, with co-op options too, creating a seemingly never-ending Halo experience.
4Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect Legendary Editiondefied fan expectations based on how rough EA has been in the pastwith this sci-fi franchise. Overall, everything works relatively well in this remaster of the original trilogy. There are some bugs, but nothing on any grand level, unlikeMass Effect Andromeda.
Containing three epic RPGs that contain multiple paths, it would not be surprising to learn some fans are still playingMass Effect Legendary Editionsince it launched in 2021. The only downgrade is not having multiplayer set up inMass Effect 3, but lucky PC fans can experience it with a mod.
3Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection
Ninja Gaidenwas seen as a Nintendo franchise on the NES, and it was one of the hardest series on the system. The license took a long break before it was brought back asNinja Gaidenfor the original Xbox. 2004’sNinja Gaidentoo became infamous for being challenging, although it was beloved because of that.
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The first two games in theNinja Gaiden: Master Collectionare reasonably well-liked (despite being theSigmaversions), but the final entry has a more split reception. Even if players only experience the first two games, this compilation is worth revisiting. It’s a shame the wild spinoff, Yaiba: Ninja Z, isn’t included though.
2Rare Replay
Rare Replayis the greatest collection on the Xbox family of systems. It includes almost everything released by Rare up to the Xbox 360, with games dating as far back as the ZX Spectrum. The biggest exclusion from Rare’s past is theDonkey Kong Countrygames, which is understandable since that is a Nintendo franchise.GoldenEye 007is also missing due to licensing issues.
Whether players want to jump into a platformer likeBanjo-Kazooie, or a shooterlikePerfect Dark, the variety in this collection is staggering.
1Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Spyro Reignited Trilogygivesfans of platformersa great series of games to go through. This compilation includes Insomniac’s three PS1 games remade from the ground up. The games have never looked or played better than they do in this collection.Spyrowas a good counterpart to theCrash Bandicootgames on PS1, and now virtually all consoles can enjoy this purple dragon’s antics.
That’s the best thing about collections like this, as they introduce characters and games to new generations of players on varying consoles.
